Brown is coming off its fourth consecutive winning season (14-13), and a second place finish in the Ivy standings (10-4) for the second straight year and third time in the last four years.

A two-time first team All-Ivy selection, Forte was the Ivy League's Player of the Year in 2004. Forte, an Associated Press honorable mention All-American, is the first player in Ivy League history to lead the league in both scoring (21.4 ppg.) and assists (5.79 apg) in league games. He also tied for the league lead in steals (2.07 per game), and ranked fourth in free throw percentage (.856), making more free throws (95) than any other Ivy player attempted. Forte currently ranks 15th on Brown's all-time scoring list with 1,118 career points. He ranks second in the Brown record book in career assists (405) and fourth in career free throws (373). His 129 assists last year were seventh in Brown history, after setting a single season Brown assist mark of 155 handouts as a sophomore.

The 6-7 Ruscoe utilized his versatility and ball-handling skills to play several positions for the Bears, and was the only Brown player to start all 27 games last year. He was the Bears' fifth leading scorer with 8.1 points per game, and ranked second on last year's squad with 43 steals. Ruscoe netted a season-high 17 points against Penn, Central Connecticut and Rhode Island, and scored in double figures 11 times as a sophomore. Ruscoe ranked third on last year's team in rebounding with 4.3 per game, pulling down a team high 14 rebounds against Yale.